This total eclipse of the Moon
was visible from Australia on the morning of the 2011
June 16. From Melbourne the penumbral phase commenced at 03:23hr (AEST) with
the Moon's entry into the umbra commencing about an hour later. Totality started
at 05:22 (local time), mid-eclipse at 06:12 with totality ending at 07:03, just
38 minutes prior to moonset at 07:41.

From Bayside Melbourne the
eclipse was viewed under ideal conditions until mid-totality when a low band of
thin cloud partially obscured the Moon. At this time the Moon all but
disappeared from view. My assessment was that the eclipse in the middle stages
was significantly darker than usual, the Moon taking on a deep blood-red colour
with a very dark centre. Around two weeks prior, a volcanic eruption in
Chile spewed thousands of tonnes of ash into the upper atmosphere which
disrupted air travel in southern Australia when the dust plume arrived over
Australia in the days leading up to the eclipse. It is well known that such
events impact
the darkness of lunar eclipses and this appeared to be no exception.

Here's a few images taken with a
tripod-mounted Canon 450DH camera and 500mm f/8 mirror lens.

The Moon
has just started to enter the umbra.

Taken at
05:03. The sunlit
portion is over-exposed to show the delicate umbral shadow colours.

At 05:15
the sunlit portion is shrinking rapidly.

05:20; the
sunlit portion has almost gone.

A few
minutes after totality began, a beautiful gradation of colours across the
lunar disk.